The Lake Club by Lina
Patton
Published: June
16, 2026 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre:
Thriller, Summer
When Danika Crawley attends events at the Aldon Lakes Country Club, heads turn.
Danika has it all—beauty, money, a successful husband, and two perfect
children. She plans on making this summer her best season yet and has a secret
weapon to secure the envy of her neighbors.
Augie Elling has lost it all. Reeling from a post-grad scandal amidst her
now-former life in New York, she returns to Aldon Lakes with her tail between
her legs. Augie wants to keep her head down, save money, and find a way to
leave her hometown for good, but someone keeps distracting her.
Danika and Augie have one thing in they are both a little obsessed
with Chat, the male nanny Danika hired for the summer. But, unbeknownst to
either woman, Chat’s appearance in town sets off a chain reaction that
threatens Aldon Lakes' carefully maintained ecosystem. As the heat rises
between the three of them, the truth behind a long-buried scandal comes to
light, and everyone at the club must reckon with the consequences.
The Lake Club is both an addictive, rollicking beach read, and a
stylish, deft exploration of a lesser-known region of American wealth.
My Thoughts: I
am not sure what to say about this book.
I love the idea, a manny (male nanny) comes to town. He has no ties to the town and is just
looking to work. As the story goes on,
more is revealed and secrets are let out. I was increasingly hooked on the
story.
The characters are diverse and unique. We have the top tier rich, hanging out at The
Club next to the working class that are there just to serve that top tier. I never really connected with any of the
characters, I do not think any of them were overly likable. I felt the characters being not likable is
part of the reason this book worked for me.
I never wanted to become attached because I knew there was more to every
single character.
The Lake Club is a fun summer thriller. I enjoyed the story and was entertained while
reading it.
Thank you William Morrow for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for
my honest review.
Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads
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About Lina Patton: Lina Patton is a writer,
illustrator, and teacher. Originally from Maine, she moved to Minnesota at
thirteen, trading the ocean for 10,000 lakes. Her work has appeared in ELLE, The
Cut, Narrative Magazine, and Driftwood Press, among
others. After seven years living overseas, she and her husband currently reside
in Washington, DC, where she teaches at George Washington University and
co-produces the storytelling series Generation Women DC. The Lake
Club is her first novel.
Additional Praise for THE LAKE CLUB:
“I’m a sucker for lakes (especially in an unfamiliar part of
the country), rich people behaving badly, outsiders to an insular world, summer
parties, and a hot but approachable leading man. The Lake Club has
all of this and more—its twisty, propulsive plot hooked me early and kept me
turning the pages until I reached the unpredictable end.”
— Meg Mitchell Moore, author of Mansion
Beach
“With its lakeside glamour, elegant prose, and simmering
secrets, The Lake Club is the ultimate summer escape. Stylish,
smart, and utterly unputdownable—Patton’s debut marks the arrival of a
thrilling new voice in fiction.”
— Georgia Clark, author of Play
It Again
“A fast-paced, twisty, delicious debut, The Lake
Club explores long-buried secrets, burgeoning romance, and the gossip
that fuels small towns and exclusive clubs. A juicy mix of rich people behaving
badly and love in all its forms, Lina Patton reminds us that, no matter how
convoluted things have become, the truth really can be a clean slate. I’ll be
first in line to read Patton’s next novel!”
— Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling
author of Beach House Rules
